the Scent of Living Water Elizabeth Goudge

November 24, 2017•
kristena briem-west

An old house that's come alive through the centuries is not just a shelter from the weather, it's a living thing and can be served. I could feel the life of this house as soon as I came through the door in the garden wall. And so there are no curtains at the windows and the moonlight is shining in so brightly that I hardly need my candles, and when I lean forward I can see a sky crowded with stars behind that great tower. I'm glad I've come here in the still, mellow October weather.

The great lime avenue was thick with piled gold when we drove through it, but when the trees bent to possess us and I looked up at them I could see the blue sky through the gold leaves because though there were so many of them they were worn thin, like very old coins.

The fields were blue and hazy and when we got to the village green I could smell bonfire smoke and blackberry jam boiling. The wisteria leaves are a fall of golden rain on each side of the pillared way and on the south side of the house the Virginia creeper is scarlet on the wall. - Elizabeth Goudge from book, "The Scent of Water."